YES, I'M READY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!

OK, My last blog was very serious so I thought I would just post some nice Christmas pictures from around my apartment....

Yes, purchased, wrapped, packaged, and postage paid, ready to go to post office

 Yes, I'm ready for Christmas...packages are all sent by the time you read this!! The only thing left to do are Christmas Cards. You know, no one sends cards anymore, like they used to. I used to love getting all the cards from those far and near. I loved reading the newsletters and catching up with everyone. Now, all I have to do is get on FaceBook and I catch up with everyone in 15 minutes. There are the select few who do not so social networking and those people I remember with a card and usually a small remembrance.

I got a cute little 4 foot fake tree this year. It fits in my apartment just right. I have all my packages wrapped for my family here in Seattle and they are around this tree and will be opened in January when everyone gathers back from their various travels....me back from Alaska (where I'll be spending a couple of weeks over Christmas), my son and his wife back from China, and my daughter and her husband back from San Francisco.....or is is Los Angeles?? I can't keep up!!

I have a smaller tree, which is covered with fake snow and is about 3 feet high (so cute!) and under this tree are reindeer and gifts to those who are not family member, but who live here in Seattle.

I have been told that Costco actually genetically alters their florals and the huge red poinsettia that I have proves it to be true. I have never seen one this huge. It is almost 3 feet high!!

Over the small fireplace I put a real evergreen wreath and I keep it moist with water spray so it gives off the wonderful smell that we all associate with Christmas. It came with the cute polka dot bow and the lights over my fireplace highlight it.

I have yet to have a fire in the fireplace, mostly because I have had bazaar things in front of it in large boxes. But now that the bazaars are over with those things are packed away and perhaps I'll have a fire when I have the kids over the first of January for a "second Christmas". 

I have added a picture of the one of the Snowmen and Santas that I made for the bazaars.

I am wishing all who read this a Very Merry Christmas, a Most Happy Holiday, and the Best New Year ever!!!

Love, Janie

THE HELP....Something on My Mind

Gone are the days where every white household had at least one black maid and possibly a black gardener. Thank goodness!! I just finished watching the movie entitled "The Help". I have always, ever since I was a child, had a soft place in my heart, even a fondness, for folks of other races. Black, Yellow, Green, whatever....it never made any difference and for some reason I always wanted to be extra nice to them because of my white skin. When I watched the movie "Dances with Wolves" I was totally ashamed to be white when I walked out of that theater. I don't remember how old I was then but it was a very profound feeling. 


The movie, "The Help" is a story about a southern white girl who is aspiring to be a writer right before the Civil Rights movement started. She was literally raised by a Black nanny as were all her friends. The book she writes is stories from Black maids who were even afraid for their lives because they talked to her in secret. I urge you to see it, if you haven't already.

I have always been so enraged by man's inhumane treatment of their fellow man!! It angers me when we are rude to each other, when we treat someone poorly because they are somehow different than we are. Who do we think we are? Do we think we are better than anyone else? Because of the color of their skin? Because of the clothes they wear? Because of the cars they drive/or don't drive? Because of the political party they are a member of? Because we have more/less money than others? We are each WHO WE ARE and should be thankful for our individuality. 


We will be most fortunate if we leave this world a better place than it was when we were born. Usually we have about 80 years, give or take, to make that difference. It's called a lifetime...but I'm here to tell you that some of us take a whole lifetime to figure out who we really are and what the hell we are here for. We are lucky if we figure that out and then can move forward to make some kind of difference for the good. 

Let's face it, we have very limited power to really change things in the world. Why we even have limited power to change things in our own towns and cities. And most of us have trouble making changes for the better in our own homes and lives. Some of us get at least one chance to get it right and some of us are lucky enough to get it right maybe on the second try or the  third try. 

When I look at my children I see in them much of what I myself believe...though I didn't really set out to teach them to be open-minded, or good to their fellow human beings. Some how along the way I at least didn't teach them to hate or to be bigots. I don't think I could live with myself if I had. Perhaps it's because they are 1/2 Asian that they see the world through a different filter, but on the other side of that, they also see it through a 1/2 Caucasian filter too....so go figure. 

If I had only one wish today and it was my last day on earth and my wish would come true, it would be that people everywhere would lay down their arms, would be humbled, and truly open their arms to those around them as they walk through life. There would be no war, no crime, and no hatred. 

Now there's an idea!!!

Janie

PLANTS AND MORE PLANTS

People who know me understand that having flowers around is almost a passion. I remember then I was a kid, I would go to my Grandfather's house in Walla Walla, Washington. He had a rose garden the whole length of his house and about 10 feet across. He had roses that were even almost as tall as I was when I was 10 years old. I loved to walk in that garden and smell each rose. Believe it or not they all smelled a little different. As an adult I have always adored receiving flowers and the last few years I have bought my own flowers when my psyche needed them. 

In my apartment I have surrounded myself with green and flowering plants. The green gives me a sense of the outdoors, and I love the beauty of the outdoors but have to stay out of the sun and never did like all the bugs that are around, especially while living in Alaska where the mosquitos are so large. The flowers are a sign of new and ever emerging life. Our lives are much like a flower where we come as a budding life and blossom, giving our most beautiful perfume and wither and are gone to make room for another new life. I have taken some pictures of my flowers and plants to share with you. 

I hope you have a beautiful day.

Janie

From left to right:  Club Moss, Golden Moss Fern, String of Pearls

From left to right: Chrysanthemums and Daisies

From left to right: Some kind of Fern,Arabian Tea Jasmine (smells sooooo good!!), and I don't know what the other one is. It's just beautiful, no? 

Bamboo

From left back: Dracaena, the red flowering plant is beautiful but no plant stick with it so I don't know what it is; The one on the front right is a Dracaena, and the front left by the polka dot ribbon is an Ivy.

Left is an African Violet and right is a Golden Moss Fern.

Left is a Baby's Angels Tears and right is another African Violet. I also have another African Violet (different color) in my Studio as well as a Club Moss. In the bedroom I have a very small Christmas Cactus. 

Of course, you recognize these as my favorite #2 flower, the rose. My very favorite in the whole world? The Gardenia.

Back in the Studio ---FINALLY!!

Since arriving in Seattle a couple months ago my life has been a whirlwind of travel and getting moved a second time and trying to settle down. This week I finally got into the studio to do some serious damage!!!

My first project was to get my daughter's Power Ranger costume sewn up. She bought a nice new heavy duty sewing machine and it is fabulous! It sews through anything. She made the helmet herself out of paper mache and clay and other things. I think it looks awesome.

My second project was a jean purse/bag. I want to use old jeans (purchased from Value Village and out of my own closet) to make bags of all kinds for upcoming bazaars in December. This is my first attempt. I think it turned out pretty cute, even if I do say so myself!!!

The pockets on the front are usable.

Then I picked up a piece of paper last night and this is what came out of it. The paper is a beigeish color. Is that even a word????

Tonight, after working all day, I decided to do something in blue, which is my favorite color. The paper is a blueish color which may not come through in the picture here. 

Hummm, do I detect change in my art work? I think so.....it's very interesting. Anyway, the next project is going to be either a snowman made out of a white boa or a wood wall hanging......and of course, more Tangles!!!!

I hope today was a great day for you and if you live where the roads are bad, please drive carefully!!

Huggs, Janie

A VIEW FROM A WINDOW

My body feels like it is time to get ready for -40 degrees and snow, snow, snow.....like last year, and like every year before it for the past 26 years.

Winter in Fairbanks, Alaska 2010

Winter in Fairbanks, Alaska 2010

Winter in Fairbanks, Alaska 2010

But when I look out my door this is what I see....

A view from my window, Seattle, WA 2011

A view from my window, Seattle, WA 2011

So I say to myself, "Self, this is not real....this is only an illusion." But then I go outside with no coat on and touch those beautiful red leaves and realize that this winter, THIS WINTER, I will not be battling the slick roads, sliding into ditches on sheets of ice roads as I did last year, that I won't worry about breaking down on the road and having it be a potential lethal situation because of the extreme temperatures if I'm not properly prepared. Unless you are in my shoes you cannot even imagine what those differences mean. The people here in Seattle keep saying, "Just wait until it rains sideways". Well, I'm here to tell you that it has rained sideways, and blown like a son-of-a-gun, and you know what I discovered? I'm not made out of sugar and I didn't melt, nor did I blow away. The next day the sun was out and I was back outside with only a light sweater. 

I have been fortunate enough to have been able to move into a new apartment that has absolutely no stairs. That is almost unheard of in Seattle as the whole city is built on hills of all shapes and sizes. I love my new home and though I still have a lot to do to make it my "home", it is comfortable. And, although I have never, ever liked Halloween, I am actually going to the apartment community Halloween party and will welcome Trick-or-Treaters on the 31st. I might even dress up to answer the door.....something in black I think!

Janie

Back In The Studio Finally!!!

As most of you know, I am an artist at heart and love to be creative. Since I have spent most of the summer either traveling or moving, no time has been spend doing what I love most: drawing or sewing. My tables for the studio arrived last week (in pieces, in boxes) and my daughter-in-law and my son came over and put them together for me. Then my daughter brought over her sewing machine (an older model Singer) so I would have something to use until my sewing machine arrives from Alaska. So I finally got things set up and started working in there over the past couple of days. 

My first project was back to the Zentangle stuff I love so much. I wanted to make a card for each apartment in my unit to thank them for coming to my aid when I fell down some steps here on the 15th of September. So Here are the cards:

 

My second larger project is making purses out of old jeans. I went to the Value Village store and bought huge men's jeans for $4.99 a pair minus a Senior Discount. (Don't you just LOVE being a Senior???). So the cost of the jeans for a purse is about $3.50 each. Then a trip to Joann's  - which about blew my mind. The store and selection of cotton fabrics is monumental!!!!! I was in that store for 3 hours just looking at and matching cotton fabrics!!! I came away with enough for about 8 purses. I plan on putting two purse patterns together to get the look I want. 

The bags will be this pattern and they will have the pocket styling with the buttons as is shown on the next pattern. I hope to make a bunch to put up on Artfire.com and maybe sell them at an outdoor market around here in the spring/summer.

This is the purse pattern.

This pattern has the cute pocket details on the front

Another project that is simmering in the back of my mind is to make these cute Steampunk dolls. They have a materials list a whole page long and items that are very difficult to find and make. However, I'm very motivated to these so if you see any of these strange materials laying around, let me know. 

I have come to realize that without a place to be creative I feel lost and anxious. Living here in Seattle means I have easy access to the right tables and equipment at a reduced cost. My art table even has a built-in light table! My sewing table is wide enough that I can cut out patterns on 45" wide fabric without a problem. I am very fortunate!!!

I hope your day is filled with the things that make you happy and fulfilled.

Janie

HOW QUICKLY WE FORGET

Do you remember when airlines used to be hijacked? I mean, people got on planes who were convicted killers or whatever, who actually forced planes to fly to all sorts of places for many reasons. There were hijackers who would kill without much provocation.

If you have forgotten about those, please, please do a search on the Internet and get reacquainted.

The reason I bring this up is that I was sitting in traffic the other day and listening to the radio. The MC read a letter from a listener who was all boiled up over the security laws in place and the pat-downs, etc. The MC brought up MANY instances of when planes were hijacked all over the world. Do we see that now? When was the last time that you heard about an airplane being hijacked? Well, I don't even remember the last time and having just come back from Europe on September 10th, I realized that not once did I feel in fear for my life. That is the most comforting feeling when you get on a plane these days! I realize that being the subject of a pat-down is not the most pleasant thing (Have you ever had a German female TSA agent pat you down? Whoha!!), and I don't know about you, but I would rather be very intimately frisked than be in fear for my life, or dead in some field in God knows where. 

Just think about it. 

Red, Purple, and Yellow

Red, Purple, and Yellow are now the colors of my skin. I took a BIG fall down some concrete stairs and landed face first on the concrete walkway below. It was one of those freak accidents that in your wildest dreams you hope you won't have. I was even thinking I needed to put on a different pair of shoes so I changed them. I thought a lot about those stairs because they are very steep and I felt I was being very careful, using the handrail all the time, really keeping my eyes on the stairs as I descended, just being overly cautious. Well, my downfall (pun intended) was my left pant leg. My right foot got hold of my left pant leg somehow and down I went. The minute I sort of realized what had happened I yelled "Help" since I was unable to move. My neighbors, whom I had not met before, came running to my aid...helping me get off my chest/face into a sitting position, bringing towels to help with the bleeding, calling 911, and even helping me stay alert and talking until the paramedics came.

A little fuzzy - but  this is the stairs I fell down.

My family was called by the apartment complex management folks and they met me at the hospital. After a ton of x-rays - I mean my WHOLE body  - including a CAT scan I got the good news that there were no broken bones!! YAY!!! Then I had to go through the really painful cleaning out of the wounds to my face. The consult with the doc came: "Am I going to have to have stitches?" " Will I look like Frankenstein's monster? " He told me that I could have scaring...pink skin and maybe a little scar- but maybe not too bad if I stay out of the sun. I can do that! Right now it looks really bad and I keep an ointment on it which makes it look worse, but I know it is only temporary. I have multiple bruise all down my left side from where my bra strap was to my ankle, plus some minimal bruising on the right side. I am the sorest in my rib area and it just reminds me of the two other times that I actually broke or cracked them!!! But this time I only bruised them so they should feel better in a relatively short time.

I was really concerned about the two teeth in my mouth that were pushed in at a 25 degree angle. Somehow in the midst of a nap yesterday I moved them back into place with my lower teeth (woke me up, of course), and I found out that the time frame that they were out of place is in the window where the chances that the teeth could heal was pretty good. There is an outside chance I might have to have a root canal but I don't think that will happen.

Flowers from some really great people.

My sweet son-in-law was supposed to go to a conference and was a participant, but because of my accident, he stayed home to help take care of me. The people at the conference were so concerned that they actually sent me flowers! Now I don't recommend falling down stairs and practically killing yourself to get flowers, but they sure help in the recovery process!!!

So, my Thursday night was pretty interesting....but I had just come from buying my furniture so I was feeling pretty great about that! Life has a way of knocking you down a few pegs...and I am beginning to feel like I'm taking someone else's hits. I'll probably feel differently when my ribs stop throbbing....so in the meantime, I want each and every one of you to watch your step....to watch the stairs that we all have in our lives, to make sure you use the handrails and watch what kind of slacks/pants you wear. Those stairs can reach right up and grab you! 

Janie

My Changing Life

I started a job yesterday, part-time, so I could "get out" and meet new people, do new things, and spread my wings in a new area. I will be doing Admin work but in order to learn the business I am starting on the "floor", learning about the business by doing. The business is located in a warehouse-type building which has many other businesses in it, most of them some sort of artistic endeavors. As I stood at the counter doing my first task I listened to the sounds coming from the other businesses and it made me feel like I was in some way a part of the creative processes that give our world meaning. I really am having trouble telling you how I felt, but it was one of those times in your life that you feel like you are around like-minded people. It was awesome!! 

I am finding that I like the "big city", even the driving around. The freeways terrified me at first but now I'm feeling more confident and it's not so bad. The best part of living here is that there are so many things to do, activities, and more which I will start exploring soon. 

Upon leaving my new job yesterday I encountered a train...as the business is located in the area where there is a lot of train activity. Even sitting in a line of cars waiting for a train to move through the train signal was not a problem, even though it lasted for about 20 minutes! I believe I will return to listening to audio books because of long distances between places and the occasional traffic back-up and the train crossings.

Railroad hang-up

I am hopeful that by this time in a week or two I'll have living room furniture and maybe even dining room furniture. We take for granted that we will always have the comforts of home, and I have learned that a person can live without them but it is very hard. Our surroundings give us a sense of well-being, a sense of safety, a sense of belonging. As an artist, my surroundings need to feel welcoming and "warm". In that vein, I purchased a bit of whimsy yesterday, the first addition to my living room. His name is "Oscar". When I saw him in a store a few days ago I knew he belonged in my home. I'll add an imitation "tree" behind him and he will be complete. Isn't he just adorable??

Oscar the Giraffe

Oscar is about 6' tall

Adorable!!!

Relocating is a very hard job, it is something I have never done "on my own" before. In fact, I have never lived alone in my life. I have always taken care of other people and now I'm learning to take care of myself. It's overwhelming at times but I also feel that I'm learning a lot about myself, that I'm actually listening to myself, and making the changes that I need to make to be the healthy person I know I can be. 

I hope your never take for granted what you have - whether it be tangible possessions or emotional connections, they are both very important in our lives.

Janie

Paris, France

I fell in love with Paris, France on my recent trip to Europe. We arrived in early evening and spent the first night in a "fancy" hotel with all the amenities. For some odd reason our credit cards all had holds placed on them by our banks because they didn't realize we were in France!! So we considered turning around and going back to the airport and trying to get on an earlier flight but possibly spending nights in the airport was not even in the area of possibility for us. We came up with enough for the first night so we could eat and get some rest and then decided to move to a more economical one and get hold of our banks the following Tuesday (Monday was a holiday in the USA). 

The front of our little hotel

Well, the second "hotel" was only 10 rooms and just exactly what you would expect to stay in in France. It was so delightful I hardly know how to describe it. The hotel had a tiny lobby with a fireplace, lots of flowers and things. There was a lift (elevator) that was big enough to hold two suitcases and one person. The stair were a little winding staircase. There were 5 floors in the hotel, and 2 rooms to a floor. Our room had twin beds and a dresser and two night stands. It also had two small chairs and a TV hung overhead. There were large french windows that opened into the room and a ceiling fan for cooling. The bathroom was the tiniest thing but so well put together! There was a deep tub with a removable shower nozzle, the toilet, and sink and they had a hairdryer, mirror that magnified what you were looking at (great for makeup applications), and a clothes line that you pulled from one side of the tub and it hooked to the other side. Bathrooms in Europe are called water closets and the toilet in our bathroom had a handle that you pulled which hung out of the ceiling. It was just the cutest thing I ever saw!!! The only drawback was that the water wasn't hot enough. In fact, I never had to turn on the cold when I took a bath or a shower. 

Tub and water closet

Sink area

We decided to spend the first day on a bus tour that we had passes for. It took us all around the most important places in Paris. The bus was a double-decker with the top deck open so we sat up there and it was the best place to take photos of things. 

Top seating on the Double-decker bus

Sculptures on the side of a building.

There are so many statues around Paris!

I just love the architecture in Paris!!!

French and Catalan Flags

Entry to an Administration building

Looking at Notre Dame as our bus approached

Buildings across the River Seine

A museum - forgot which one

A typical Parisian street

Arch de Triomphe

A sculpture on the corner of a building

The second day we went to the Louvre. The buildings outside along with the glass pyramid are so awesome and huge! I was almost moved to tears when I first saw them. We had to cross over the River Seine to go anywhere from our hotel and there were artist working and selling their paintings or drawings on the bridge and a couple of times there was a man playing an accordion on the bridge as well. If I hadn't had to come back to the States and I had a lot of money, I would have stayed in Paris. It is very, very expensive to live there AND to visit there.

Just attached to the Louvre is what is called "The Carousel". This is a small shopping mall and a food court, which even had a McDonald's! Before you say the word "boo", they sold wonderful things like brioche, and croissant rolls of different kinds and the best coffee and orange juice ever. 

Once inside, we wandered from the sculptures (and there are a lot of them) which I really like to the paintings, to the apartments of Napoleon. We saw all the things that you "hope" to see...and the Louvre has thoughtfully built in two restaurants so that when you get tired and hungry, you don't have to leave the Louvre and come back in to eat. You have to go through security to get into the Louvre so this is very nice. 

My daughter's chocolate Brioche and coffee

McDonald's 

Outside of the Louvre

One of the inside sculpture gardens at the Louvre - really awesome!!!

I will show much more in my next blog of what we saw there. 

The last day we spent on another bus tour in order to see more of Paris that wasn't the usual tourist fare. We saw the less than picturesque side of Paris where the factories are and learned more of the history of Paris. The one thing we never saw was a grocery store...ever, anywhere.  odd???

I hope to go back to Paris someday. I want to spend more time in the Louvre. I want to sit and study the paintings and learn more from the art that fills that beautiful building. I also want to be among the people more. Most thought we were from Canada because of our "accent", but everyone was so nice. Waiters came and sat at our table to talk, hotel people bent over backwards to make our stay comfortable, and people were so very understanding of our inability to speak their language. We picked up a few more words than we went with as we had done in Spain. 

The River Seine 

Another bridge crossing the River Seine. This bridge had locks placed on the side of the bridge by tourists/lovers signifying that they came to the city of romance and renewed their love for each other.

This is the premier shopping area in Paris where all the big name designers have their stores

I hope there is travel in your future. There are other cultures to be enjoyed and learned from.

Janie